The aim of this research was to study empirically what characterize farms and farmers that choose to develop the milk production at their farms. The background was that several farms have exited milk production, which threatens both goals about rural development and also the activities of the...

In earlier studies, past succession is found to contribute positively to the farm growth. However, there is lack of information on how are the farms succeeding after the starting phase. In this study, it is analysed how farmers that have recently started their farm enterprise differ from more...

Today the European agrofood sector is increasingly confronted with the threats as well as the opportunities of liberalizing markets. Therefore, competitiveness on global markets is becoming of paramount importance for European farmers. The challenges of global markets are accompanied by a...

In Flanders glasshouse vegetables and ornamental plants are typically produced at family businesses. At this type of businesses the objectives and long-term firm developments are influenced by the so called ‘family-firm life cycle’. In many cases the firm shows a life cycle that corresponds...

One of the outcomes of the EC-FP7 project “Future Farm” was showing the need of INTEGRATION, something that PROGIS has been doing for 15 years. Within the whole sector agriculture–forestry-environment-risk management there is an enormous need for integration that is not available yet,...

The present paper analyses the current trends in the IT&C field, according to which IT is delivered to the user as personalized, updated and secured service packages, at reasonable costs. This new technology class is symbolically named Cloud Computing. The agrifood sector is placed on top...

To assess the performance of a farmer and to identify best practice among a group of farmers, the assumption is often made that all farmers maximize profits and thus share the same business goals. However, performance differs due to personal characteristics, objectives and strategies. A survey...

The European dairy industry faces an increasingly uncertain world. There is uncertainty about, for example, subsidy payment levels and compliance conditions, global competition, price variability, consumer demand, carbon footprints, water quality, animal welfare, food safety, and the...

Policy for agricultural extension services (AES) has been revitalized during the last phases of rural development policies (2007/2013), to empower human capital in agriculture. A wider package of measures aiming at improving the supply of extension at farm level is foreseen and financial...